Mary J. Blige, the rapper, singer song-writer, record producer and actress is known for her decade long career in the entertainment world, but how much do you know about her lifestyle, her husband, her achievements and her net worth? Have you ever wondered how much Mary J. Blige net worth is?
Mary J. Blige is known as the Queen of Hip Hop Soul in the music industry, who has sold over 50 million albums only in the United States and more than 80 million records worldwide.
The award-winning musician and actress has managed to stay in the interest of audiences to date.
Want to know more about her? Keep scrolling down and let’s see what more we can learn about the star.
Mary J. Blige Net worth Timeline
Mary J. Blige’s debut album, What’s the 411?, hit the streets in July 1992, both critics and fans were floored by its powerful combination of modern soul and edgy hip-hop production.
Her 1995 follow-up, My Life, stepped back stylistically from its urban roots by featuring less of a rap sound, it made up for it with its subject matter.
Released in 1997, Share My World was another hit for Blige and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
Her next studio album, Mary, came out in 1999, making it clear that the street-grounded style and more confrontational aspects of her music were gone, while the emotive power still remained.
The modern-sounding 2001 release No More Drama, is a deeply personal album that remained a collective effort musically yet reflected more of Blige’s songwriting than any of her previous efforts.
In 2003 she was reunited with P. Diddy, who produced the majority of that year’s patchy Love and Life album.
The Breakthrough followed in 2005 and was a tremendous success, spawning a handful of major singles. The Breakthrough’s lead single, “Be Without You,” spent nearly a year on the R&B chart, while the album’s fifth single, “Take Me as I Am,” had been on the same chart for over four months.
Blige came out with her eighth studio album, Growing Pains in 2007. It was her third consecutive studio album to top both the Billboard 200 and the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.
She followed with Stronger with Each Tear in 2008 and My Life II…The Journey Continues (Act 1) followed in 2011. Like her previous nine studio albums, it reached gold status.
Blige’s next major move was a featured appearance on Kendrick Lamar’s”Now or Never,” off the deluxe edition of the Grammy-nominated Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City. A Mary Christmas, her first holiday album, stuffed stockings in 2013.
Between 2014 and 2015, she recorded her 13th album in London that summer with the likes of Sam Smith, Naughty Boy, and Emeli Sandé.
In late 2016 and early 2017, Blige released the first singles from her next proper studio album. The parent full-length Strength of a Woman arrived in April 2017. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.
Blige issued a handful of 2018-2019 singles, all of which hit the Adult R&B chart.
In 2019, she went on a summer tour with Nas.
Mary J. Blige Net worth 2021
According to online sources, Mary J. Blige has amassed a net worth of approximately $20 million in her decades long career in entertainment.
Mary J. Blige Sponsors
Earlier this year, Blige partnered with skincare company, Gold Bond to uplift and spotlight the Hollywood underdogs — Black stuntwomen.
To do just that, the company has launched #ChampionYourSkin, a campaign that celebrates women who put their skin to the test to break barriers not only for themselves but for others too.
Blige joined in to not only champion Black stuntwomen, but also give back to the women who almost never get the recognition they deserve. She said during an interview
“This campaign is about championing your skin and spotlighting Black stuntwomen because while it’s very little of them, it’s very important that they too are included when you talk about diversity in Hollywood,” “I think it’s important and I’m very excited to be a part of this because now as an actress, there’s a lot of stunts that I have to do and if it weren’t for the stuntwomen I would get hurt.”
Blige, no stranger to partnerships in a career that spans 20-plus years, says that she’s very intentional when it comes to collaborating with a brand.
“I won’t say I’m using a product and I’m not [actually] using it,” “I’ve turned down so much money in my life because I’m not just going to take a lot of money or an endorsement with someone if I’m not using the product. A lot of people follow me and respect what I do and I don’t want to hurt them by saying that I’m doing something if I’m not.”
She also has endorsed brands like Reebok, Air Jordan, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Gap, Target, American Express, AT&T, MAC, Apple, Burger King, and Chevrolet.
Mary J. Blige Book Uptown Records deal
Uptown Records CEO Andre Harrell was impressed with Blige’s voice and signed her to sing backup for local acts like Father MC.
In 1991, however, Sean “Puffy” Combs took Blige under his wing and began working with her on What’s the 411?, her debut album. Combs had a heavy hand in What’s the 411?, as did producers Dave Hall, Mark Morales, and Mark Rooney, and the stylish touches that they added to Blige’s unique vocal style created a stunning album that bridged the gap between R&B and hip-hop in a way that no singer had before.
Uptown capitalized on the success by issuing What’s the 411? Remix a year later.
Mary J. Blige MCA deal
The period following the recording of My Life was also a difficult time professionally for Blige, as she severed her ties with Combs and Uptown, hired Suge Knight as a financial advisor, and signed with MCA. However, she soon won her first (of several) Grammy awards: Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By,” a duet with Method Man.
During her time with MCA, Blidge released the albums, Share My World, No More Drama, The Breakthrough, Reflections (A Retrospective), Growing Pains, Stronger with Each Tear and My Life II…The Journey Continues (Act 1).
Mary J. Blige Capitol deal
The London Sessions, her first album for Capitol, was released in 2015 and placed two singles in the Top Ten of Billboard’s Adult R&B chart.
While at Capitol she also released the first singles from her next proper studio album, including the Kanye West collaboration “Love Yourself.” The parent full-length Strength of a Woman arrived in April 2017, and featured further guest spots from DJ Khaled, Missy Elliott, and Kaytranada. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.
Mary J. Blige Republic deal
Newly signed to Republic, Blige issued a handful of 2018-2019 singles, all of which hit the Adult R&B chart. Among them was the Nas collaboration “Thriving,” a track that appeared ahead of the two artists’ co-headlining summer 2019 tour.
Mary J. Blige Netflix deal
Able to find television success recently, Blige’s starring role in Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy has been especially celebrated among viewers. Far from her only notable TV role, Blige has also shown up in series like The Jamie Foxx Show, Moesha, 30 Rock, Empire, Black-ish, and Scream.
Mary J. Blige House
Mary J. Blige owns a few properties, her larger home is an 18,000 square foot New Jersey French Country-style mansion.
In that massive space, Blige got to enjoy some truly impressive amenities including a massive pool, a home theater, a six-car garage, an elevator, and a basketball court. On top of all that, the home had eight bedrooms and 13 bathrooms.
At one point Mary J. Blige also bought a second New Jersey home, however according to reports she recently put it in the market. The house included 6 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, and 2 half-baths in addition to the gym and guest quarters.
Mary J. Blige Ventures and Investments
Mary J. Blige label
Blige established her own record label Matriarch Records, distributed through Interscope, in 2004.
Mary J. Blige acting
In addition to her music, Mary has also proven to be a talented actress. She received major praise for her role in the period drama film Mudbound.
Most prominently, she was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song (for “Mighty River”).
Other notable roles include Rock of Ages, Sherlock Gnomes, and Trolls World Tour.
She also provided the soundtrack to the comedy Think Like a Man Too. It entered the Billboard Top 200 at number 30 and also reached the Top Ten on Billboard’s R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart.
Mary J. Blige glasses, fashion, perfume & jewelry
Sunglasses have been a huge part of Mary J. Blige’s signature style since her debut back in the 90s. As such it should come as no surprise that the hip-hop queen of soul came up with her own line of shades to make you look just as fly in your own day to day life.
Premium eyewear company Orange 21 developed the sunglasses line called — Melodies by MJB -which features four styles with 20 different color options that all represent a specific facet of Blige’s life.
Mary J. has been part of two other business ventures outside of the music that include a line of t-shirts and her own fragrance. She launched the perfume “My Life” on the Home Shopping Network in July 2010.
But that’s not all, she also has her own jewelry collection collaboration with her best friend, Simone I. Smith, which is called Sister Love.
However, her list of entrepreneurial ventures don’t end there. The talented artist is said to be working on her line of boots.
Mary J. Blige wine
The Queen of hip hop soul sealed a partnership with a major Italian wine producer, which is present in more than 90 countries.
Fantinel Winery manages some 300 hectares in Italy, which are mainly located in the Friuli region. Its estates produce the Italian bubbly, prosecco and also pinot grigio ramato, which will be used to make the rosé for this limited edition range. A sauvignon blanc will be the other bottle in the line which has been christened Sun Goddess, a reference to Blige’s mother’s nickname for her daughter.
Mary J. Blige has been involved in all stages of the production of the new vintages.
Mary J. Blige Charity and philanthropy
Blige has been active in charity work and philanthropy for many years. She has been known to support a number of causes and established her own foundation.
The Mary J. Blige Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now, Inc. (FFAWN) was created and funded in 2007 by Mary in order to use her personal story and success to inspire women. FFAWN empowers women by providing them access to the education and resources they need to achieve their goals. The Mary J. Blige Center for Women serves as a “one-stop-shop” for women, making resources more accessible and more customized.
Mary J. Blige Early life
Born on January 11, 1971, in the Bronx, New York, Blige has won over millions of fans with her music. But before becoming a successful hip-hop singer, Blige endured a hellish childhood marred by violence, alcohol and drugs.
Her mother, Cora Blige, was a nurse and an alcoholic; her father, Thomas Blige, was a jazz musician who played the bass guitar, as well as a Vietnam War veteran who suffered from severe post-traumatic stress disorder. “My mother went through awful abuse from my father,” Blige once recalled. “He left us when I was 4, but he’d come back from time to time and abuse her some more.”
Mary J. Blige Personal life
Mary met and fell in love with a music executive named Kendu Isaacs. “After I met him, everything changed in my life,” she said. “He was the first person to ever challenge what I did: ‘Why are you drinking? Why do you hate yourself? You don’t need to be around people who tear you down. You’re beautiful, Mary.’ He was the first man to ever tell me that.”
Blige and Isaacs married in 2003, and she became a stepmother to his three children. The two reportedly split in 2016.
During their time together they were seen in several award functions together and Mary made a strong bond with Kendu’s children. Kendu and Mary do not bear any children together.
Mary J. Blige Husband
Martin “Kendu” Isaacs served as the ex-talent manager of the famous singer, songwriter, and producer Mary J Blige.
He was married to Mary for 12 years before having their divorce finalized in 2017. His divorce from Mary J. Blige was widely covered by tabloids, including TMZ, People Magazine, and JustJared.
Born on 14th August 1968, currently, he is a supporting cast member of We TV’s Growing Up Hip-Hop. Previously, he was a producer and a music executive, known for Betty and Coretta (2013) and Ellen: The Ellen Degeneres Show (2003).
Kendu Isaacs was married and had 3 kids before dating superstar Mary J Blige. Kendu’s eldest daughter Briana Latrise, is also an artist featured in Growing Up Hip-Hop on WE TV. His two younger sons are Nas Isaacs and Jordan Isaacs.
Mary J. Blige Career
Mary’s career began after she managed to get her tape to Uptown Records CEO Andre Harrell, who was blown away by her beautiful, powerful and soulful voice. He signed Blige to a record contract in 1992 and assigned a young up-and-coming music producer named Sean “Diddy” Combs to work with her.
Blige released her debut album, What’s the 411? later that year, and it instantly became a huge success. The album sold more than 3 million copies, bolstered by the hit singles “You Remind Me” and “Real Love.”
Two years later, Blige released a second album, My Life, on which she wrote or co-wrote nearly all of the songs. My Life proved another critical and popular success with singles such as “Be Happy,” “Mary Jane (All Night Long)” and “You Bring Me Joy.” In 1996, she won her first Grammy Award (best rap performance by a duo or group) for “I’ll be There For You/You’re All I Need to Get By,” a duet with Method Man of the Wu-Tang Clan. Her third album, 1997’s Share My World, reached No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart, and featured hits like “Love Is All We Need” and “Everything.”
Mary J. Blige Achievements
Ever since her debut, Mary J. Blige instantly became a distinct force in R&B, and throughout a three-decade career has put the full power of her voice behind her music, exorcizing her demons and consequently softening her style, yet never ceding her rank as “the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.”
Each one of the singer’s proper studio albums has debuted within the Top Ten of the Billboard 200, highlighted by a streak of multi-platinum titles.
To date, Mary is a Grammy-award-winning and Oscar-nominated singer-songwriter, actress, producer, and entrepreneur.
Mary J. Blige favorite cars
Mary J. Blige has owned a number of cars over the years including, two Mercedes, and SL550 and a C300.
Favorite Quotes from Mary J. Blige
“Love is wonderful, amazing, and the best thing that can happen to us.”
“My responsibility to God is to live. That’s the gift he gave me. What I do with it is up to me.”
“Believe in yourself when nobody else does.”
“You demand respect and you’ll get it. First of all, you give respect.”
“You can hate me. You can go out there and say anything you want about me, But you will love me later because I told you the truth.”
“It’s up to us to choose whether we win or lose…and I choose to win.”
“Music makes us want to live. You don’t know how many times people have told me that they’d been down and depressed and just wanted to die. But then a special song caught their ear and that helped give them renewed strength. That’s the power music has.”
Lessons learned from Mary J. Blige
While her music has been praised internationally and adored by fans and critics alike, behind her professional success Blige’s personal life has recounted over the years how her personal life spiraled out of control.
“I didn’t know my own worth,” she said. “I was ignorant. The people making money off me kept me blind: ‘Mary likes cocaine? OK, let’s make sure she keeps getting it. Alcohol? Get her that.'”
Blige finally managed to turn her life around after she learned to love herself.
What does Mary J. Blige do now?
At 50, the mogul and style icon, remains as active as ever in her business ventures, her music as well as in her career as an actress.
Where does Mary J. Blige live now?
Mary J. Blige splits her time between Los Angeles and New York.
Mary J. Blige is active in most common social media platforms including:
Mary J. Blige Instagram
Mary is active on Instagram where she has 5 million followers.
Mary J. Blige Twitter
Mary is also on Twitter with over 6 million followers.
Mary J. Blige Facebook
Mary can also be found on Facebook, with 10 million followers.
Mary J. Blige YouTube
She has her own YouTube channel with 1.91M subscribers.
Mary J. Blige Website
She also has her own website, where you can check out her shop.
